Ireland spinner Dockrell receives ICC award

Cricket:Ireland spinner George Dockrell has received a huge boost ahead of the start of the World Twenty20 finals in Sri Lanka after being named as the International Cricket Council Associate and Affiliate Cricketer of the Year at an award ceremony in Colombo.

The 20-year Dubliner, who made his Ireland debut in the Sri Lankan capital at the beginning of 2010, beat off Ireland team-mates Paul Stirling, Ed Joyce and Kevin O’Brien’s s well as Afghanistan’s Dawlat Zadran to take the prestigious award and become the second Irish player to win the award after skipper William Porterfield claimed the award in 2008.

During the 12-month voting period, Dockrell was the leading Associate and Affiliate wicket-taker with 43 scalps in all formats under observation (T20I, ODI and Intercontinental Cup.

The left-arm spinner, who plays county cricket for English side Somerset, claimed 14 T20I wickets in the year, the most by any player in the window under observation, including Full Members.

“It's great to win such an award and especially to be following the footsteps of an esteemed group of players like William Porterfield and Ryan ten Doeschate and only at the age of 20,” said Dockrell, who also captained the Ireland under-19 side in last month’s World Cup in Australia.

“I feel very honoured. It's been a great year of cricket with I-Cup, U19s and WCL Championship and now the WT20 and I’ve been learning a lot to take it into this tournament.

“It’s good to be setting high standards, and hopefully I will keep performing well for Ireland in the future.”